


Connected

by Wally_Birb



Series: Smoak'd [7]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), DCU, DCU (Comics), Supergirl (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015), Superman - All Media Types, The Batman (Cartoon), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Bill O'Reilly to be specific, Can be read as a stand alone, Emotions, Establishing the Justice League, F/M, Felicity Smoak is Everybody's Friend, Felicity Smoak is a BAMF, Felicity Smoak is a Hero, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hostage Situations, Investigations, Slow Burn, Team Dynamics, companion piece to Squandered, fight me, shit talking Fox News
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 07:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9063190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wally_Birb/pseuds/Wally_Birb
Summary: The argument she and Lex had in the hallway had showed him just how far he’d gone--it showed her that he wasn’t her best friend anymore, he was her enemy, and thus she needed to treat him like one.The thing is, Felicity knew that she needed allies in this battle. Lex was smart, and he was creative. A battle between Felicity Smoak and Lex Luthor was always a toss up. They knew each other’s tricks, they were both the most intelligent people the other knew, and they both knew not to underestimate the others. She might’ve gotten away this long with simply poking at LuthorCorp, but now they had both ended whatever friendship still lingered.Now, it was war.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is more of a Felicity's perspective on my previous story Squandered.
> 
> It follows Felicity building the Justice League to combat the bigger threats to the planet. On the way, she and Bruce Wayne grow close~
> 
> This is a companion piece to Squandered but I'm p sure you can read it as a stand alone if you really want to. All you need to know is that after Felicity was shot up in season 4, Lex, her childhood BFF whom she'd drifted away from, helped Curtis with her bio-stimulant but then found out that she worked with the Arrow and got pissed, which led Felicity to reveal that she'd been keeping tabs on his more...evil projects and that she would shut him down if needed. Basically, declaring war.
> 
> This starts right after the hallway scene.

They met when she (anonymously) e-mailed him a copy of the LuthorCorp files detailing Lex’s madness. The argument she and Lex had in the hallway had showed him just how far he’d gone--it showed her that he wasn’t her best friend anymore, he was her enemy, and thus she needed to treat him like one.

The thing is, Felicity knew that she needed allies in this battle. Lex was smart, and he was creative. A battle between Felicity Smoak and Lex Luthor was always a toss up. They knew each other’s tricks, they were both the most intelligent people the other knew, and they both knew not to underestimate the others. She might’ve gotten away this long with simply poking at LuthorCorp, but now they had both ended whatever friendship still lingered.

Now, it was war.

The visit came sooner rather than later.

“Overwatch.”

“I didn’t expect you to track me down this quickly,” Felicity noted as she looked Batman up and down. A year ago, seeing him lingering in the middle of her Lair would’ve scared the shit outta her. It’s amazing how being shot up could put that whole ‘fear’ thing into perspective. 

“I figured this wasn’t a conversation to be procrastinated.” He growled, slightly perturbed by Felicity’s blase attitude towards him. “After all, it’s not everyday someone gets legitimate evidence of Luthor’s crimes.”

She shrugged. “I know the fallacies in his coding.”

“Why come to me for help?” Batman asked.

“Oracle owes me a favor.” Felicity answered enigmatically. “And...I need another brain on my side here. One that can punch but actually uses strategies. Oracle said that she was currently too busy, but that you’d be willing to help.”

Felicity got the feeling that, given the way he was clenching his jaw, Batman was fighting off an annoyed sigh at how she and Oracle had basically played him to get his attention. “What’s your idea?”

“An alliance.” She answered. “Not just you and me. I know the Flash and the Arrow, as well as a few others. There are some threats to this Earth that are too big for any one of us to take care of, but--”

“If we have an agreement to work together, we can take them down.” Batman finished with a grimace. “Smart.”

“Thank you.” Felicity rolled her eyes at the way he made that compliment actually sound diminutive. “Anyway, no one’s been doing this as long as you have and no one’s as good at it as you. You’re smart. You don’t have any special powers, but you’re still alive which I can’t say for everyone who does this. You also understand that sometimes teams are what the world needs.”

Batman nodded. “So you want Luthor’s takedown to be...what?”

“One of the goals of the League.” Felicity answered, moving over to her computer to bring up a file on Superman. “Luthor is based in Metropolis, which is Superman’s territory. Lex isn’t a problem you can punch into submission.”

“Superman works alone if he can help it.” Batman pointed out.

Felicity clicked her tongue. “That’s why I need your help. He trusts you.”

“I thought you needed my brain.”

“Brains, beauty, and connections,” Felicity batted her eyelashes up at him playfully. “How could any girl resist?”

In return, Batman gave her a withering exasperated glare that she had a feeling she’d end up seeing a lot.

“So,” She held out her hand. “Partners?”

Batman looked down at her hand, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he returned the shake like he was humoring her. “I’ll think about it.”

*

Felicity met Bruce Wayne at her company’s renaming ceremony and gala. She’d just walked away from the podium and into a hoard of reporters that she’d smiled at charmingly. Say what she wanted about Isabel--and she did--but the woman did force Felicity to master a polite poker face at even the most sexist of questions.

“Who are you wearing?”

“Did your break up with Oliver Queen fuel this change in your company?”

“What do you say to the rumor that you had an affair with Lex Luthor?”

“Do you have a personal stylist?”

“Do you want to comment on the rumors of how you’ve gotten to the top?”

Felicity smiled winningly and walked through the cameras and recorders, not allowing any of the questions to get to her. Once she got to the doors of the gala, she turned and waved to the reporters. “If you all have any relevant questions, I beg you to come to the press conference tomorrow.”

It was as she turned to go through the doors that none other than Bruce Wayne saddled up next to her. “Nicely handled. Congrats on not going off on Fox News.”

“Well, I try to keep the good stuff for real journalists,” She shrugged, holding the door open for him and earning a small, surprised smile. 

“I almost punched Bill O'Reilly when I went on his show.” He admitted. 

“Oh, I saw that bit on YouTube.” Felicity’s eyes lit up as she remember how he had only just refrained from shouting at the man. “And they say that Batman’s the scariest person in Gotham. Your whole sparkly fake smile was terrifying.”

“Mmm,” He hummed in consideration. “Was it that obviously fake?”

“I’m good at reading people.” Felicity shrugged. “Bill O'Reilly hasn’t asked me on his show yet, but he has upped the amount of comments about women in leadership roles. I don’t know if it’s because of me renaming Smoak Technologies or Clinton running for president.”

“Either way, he’s pissed off.” Bruce smirked as he grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed her one.

“I’ll drink to that.” She held up her glass for a toast, Bruce’s quiet laugh nearly drowned out by the soft clink of the glasses meeting. “So, are you here to schmooze or size up the competition?”

“Two birds.” He answered with his charming smile in place.

“I gotta say,” Felicity started offhandedly. “I’d almost think I was wrong about you if it wasn’t from the scars on your knuckles.”

And with that she breezed away to kiss the asses of Star City’s elite, leaving Bruce off balance. He recovered with a small chuckle. She’d fooled him. This was going to be interesting.

*

“The real question,” Felicity mused as she, Batman, Green Arrow, Flash, and White Canary were gathered around plans for the league. “Is what do we put this?”

“It’d need to be out of the way,” Green Arrow pointed out.

“Somewhere no one would think to look. Maybe an island?” Flash suggested, but was silenced by twin glares from White Canary and Green Arrow.

White Canary grinned widely as she sat forward. “I’ve got an idea, guys. It’s perfect.”

“Spit it out, Canary.” Batman rumbled.

“Alright, just don’t shut it down, and think about it, okay?” She raised an eyebrow at everyone looking at her. She leaned back in her chair smugly. “Space.”

Green Arrow scoffed and shook his head. “You wanna take this seriously?”

“Wait, no.” Felicity held up a hand to shut him up and looked over at Batman and Flash. “If it’s disguised as a satellite?”

“Zeta on and off?” Flash offered.

“It would be a good tactical position.” Batman observed.

Green Arrow rolled his head back to look up at the ceiling, realizing that he was going to lose this battle. “How can we pay for that?”

Batman, White Canary, and Flash all pointed at Felicity, who grinned wickedly.

“I know a few bad guys that are pretty well off.”

“So we’re doing this?” Oliver sent her a pleading look. “It’s crazy.”

“It’s only crazy if it doesn’t work.” Felicity amended. “How about we this: I’ll get together with Cisco and Firestorm, maybe ATOM to come up with some blueprints and an estimate, then we’ll discuss logistics at the meeting after we finish that up, and then we’ll take a vote if it’s feasible.”

“Sounds good, cutie!” White Canary chirped.

“Agreed,” Flash nodded before pausing. “Not with the pet name, but- good thinking, Overwatch.” He finished in his ‘Flash’ voice.

“This is insane.” Arrow groused.

“Says the man who fights crime with a bow and arrow while wearing a hoodie and a mask.” Flash drawled teasingly.

“In the middle of a meeting with someone who can run so fast, he can vibrate through solid objects, a reborn assassin with blood lust who captains a stolen time ship, and a bat furry who fights crime.” Felicity deadpanned.

Batman’s gaze turned into that thousand yard stare for a beat before he pinned Felicity with an angry glare.

“I calls’ em like I sees’ em.” Felicity held up her hands in surrender.

“A bat furry who fight crime,” Canary repeated in an incredulous tone before she and Flash looked at each other and were finally unable to smother their giggles.

“Earth’s greatest heroes, everybody.” Arrow deadpanned with fondness.

*

“So, what’s going on between you and Batman?” Sara asked in the middle of her and Felicity’s training session. “Straighten out your elbow a little more on the punches, alright?”

Felicity nodded and followed her direction by releasing a punch at Sara’s gut. The assassin easily dodges, but nods at Felicity to let her know that she had improved. “Nothing’s going on between me and Batman.”

“Bullshit.” Sara rolled her eyes as Felicity ducked out of the way of a high kick and landed a punch to the back of Sara’s knee on her stable leg, catching her off guard and knocking her down. The two blondes stared at each other, Sara at Felicity in astonishment, and Felicity at Sara in horror.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to catch you off guard, B just taught me that when she was giving me some self defense training with a baton!” Felicity began to apologize before she was cut off by Sara’s musical laugh.

“That was amazing, Felicity!” Sara jumped up and hugged her student. “I’m so proud of you! Alright, square up, let’s go again!”

Felicity huffed out a relieved laugh and stepped back a few paces away from Sara to get ready again.

*

“We need a plausible reason to go to Metropolis.” Bruce announced over lunch in his office in Gotham. Felicity had been bouncing around between teams and recruiting missions, so he’d offered her a place to stay at the mansion to give the poor woman some rest. In return, she brought him some lunch as an act of gratitude.

(He didn’t think that it was adorable, but she was his coworker and he couldn’t afford to date her or anything ridiculous like that.)

“I was thinking about that,” Felicity admitted, though she didn’t look up from his computer tower where she’d been fiddling with something when he’d mentioned that he’d stopped using his computer because it made an annoying sound that gave him a headache.

(She’d looked at him like he’d insulted her family and spat on her. “Listen here, grumpy,” She’d started.

“Yes, I know. I’m horrible and lazy and it’s my fault if my computer is doing something it’s not supposed to.”

She pursed her lips.

“And yes, you can take a look at it,” Bruce rolled his eyes at her answering grin. He told himself that it didn’t matter that he could pick up on her behaviors because he was just observant. Not obsessed. Not at all.)

“Are you going to tell me what you were thinking?” He leaned back in his chair and focused on his lunch, ignoring the view of Felicity bent over and twisting to look over his monitor at the connections.

Felicity hummed and futzed with something before absentmindedly sticking the handle of her screwdriver (he didn’t ask where she got it) into her mouth so that she could use both hands. “Wash thinkin’ ‘at we coul’ announsh a pardnershid in ‘Tropolish.”

“Screwdriver.”

“Ah,” There was a dull thunk as the screwdriver fell from her mouth onto his desk. “I was thinking that we could announce a partnership in Metropolis. Neither of us have considerable holdings in the city, but it is super important logistically. Under the cover of expanding my business and you seeing potential in that, we could open a joint branch with an R&D lab to house our shared project.”

“That could work,” Bruce nodded and tapped his first finger against his lips thoughtfully. “The press had already been theorizing about us working together. This could also be good PR for both of us.”

Felicity nodded and let out a frustrated noise before moving back over to Bruce’s computer tower. She laid it on its side over Bruce’s paperwork and began looking around for the screwdriver. He leaned forward to put down his empty container and grab the tool for her. She hummed in thanks. “It would also piss off Fox News considering they’ve been making bets on when I’m gonna be fired.”

“It might help your standing with Fox if you didn’t constantly post on your Snapchat about the best Fox News drinking games.”

“Well then maybe you and Barry should stop sending me ideas.” Felicity raised an eyebrow at him before unscrewing the side of his computer tower and examining the hardware for about a second before diving in. “You’re the one who offered ‘finish your drink every time the liberal guest is stumped by the stupidity’. That one had me basically shitfaced the whole night.”

“Hey, at least Bill O’Reilly has finally asked you to be on his show,” Bruce grinned.

“That will be fun.” Felicity answered, mirroring his delighted expression with a tad more darkness in it.

Bruce pursed his lips. “Won’t setting up in Metropolis also instigate things with Luthor?”

“He can kiss my ass.” Felicity rolled her eyes. “Things between me and Lex and over...all that’s left now is a war because of what he’s trying to do. I’m not going to throw the first punch, but I have my finger on the trigger finger and he knows it. Besides, even if I was doing this to piss him off--which I’m not--I really don’t think that he’d come after me without provocation. We’re in this weird MAD space right now. Neither of us are moving first, but we’re both ready to.”

“There’s just one difference.” Bruce pointed out.

“What’s that?” Felicity straightened and looked down at Bruce, sensing the weight in his words.

“Luthor doesn’t have allies.” He finished, giving her a heavy look. “And when you face each other, and you probably will, you won’t be alone.”

Felicity smiled and looked down at her hands in his computer before giving him a touched smile. “I couldn’t ask for a better ally and friend.”

*

Bruce moved to shield Felicity with his body as a blast blocked their escape and Intergang retreated into the cafe with the hostages. She moved out of his arms and grabbed a little girl who was blown away from her mother, who had managed to get away. Felicity quieted the girl gave her to Bruce who was looking at her like she was insane.

“Get her in the middle of the hostages to keep her out of Intergang’s way.” Felicity instructed him in a hard voice. “I’m going to try to get them talking.”

“Felicity--”

“Bruce,” They locked eyes in front of the group of customers, including Cat Grant, who was watching them intently. “We need to get her safe before anything else, you understand me?”

Bruce clenched his jaw painfully, but nodded in a way that promised trouble for Felicity after this was over, but Felicity knew that he was better with kids and much better suited to protect the little girl, so the sacrifice had to be made.

“Cat, what have you heard them talking about?” She asked the journalist next to her.

“Just that they were only paid for an intervention, not a hostage situation.” Cat reported on command. Felicity nodded and looked between the two members who had been put in charge of the hostages.

“I’m about to do something stupid, and I need you to play along and keep Bruce down here, alright?” Felicity stared into Cat’s eyes seriously. Cat looked a little surprised, but nodded. Felicity took a deep breath and channeled her inner badass before forcing herself to start hyperventilating--loud enough to get the nearest gang member’s attention.

“Hey!” He walked over. “Get ahold of yourself, lady!”

Bruce looked up from where he was trying to calm down the few kids stuck in the cafe to see one of the gang members looming over Felicity and nearly lost it. He went to intervene, but was stopped by the small fingers clutching his shirt desperately. 

“I- I- I- I don’t- I can’t-” Felicity feigned panic as the man leveled his gun at her.

“Shut up before I make you!” He growled. The other member looked over and frowned.

“Hey! She’s having a panic attack, you assholes! Believe it or not, people don’t get more calm with a _gun_ pointed at them!” Cat chimed in loudly.

The man huffed and rolled his eyes before grabbing Felicity by her ponytail, making Bruce growl and start forward--stopped once again, only this time by Cat’s glare. He cursed internally. Felicity had a plan, and his interference at this point could kill her. The gang member dragged Felicity away from the front of the cafe and they disappeared into the kitchen.

Bruce heard the other gang member mumble about blondes being every man’s weakness and he barely held onto his self control.

In the kitchen, however, Felicity dropped her act as soon as she was out of view. Sara would’ve been proud of Felicity’s takedown of the man. Felicity took his weapons and stashed them in the oven, turning it on to 475°F so that if they didn’t melt, they’d at least be too hot to grab. She tore up an apron to gag the man and tie his hands and feet together the way Diggle taught her to before dragging his prone body into the walk in freezer.

She searched him for a phone, grabbed it, and then retreated into the vents the way Dick taught her to do it.

Mentally, she reviewed her situation. Intergang was made up of five people--two women and three men. Two men had been left to look over the hostages. The leader, a woman with a pixie cut, was in the backroom of the cafe, dealing with the cops and Supers over the phone. The other two were in the front of the cafe, ready to fight should the cops or Supers descend.

It didn’t take long for the woman who was in the front to come into the kitchen to investigate. Felicity waited patiently in the vent until the woman was in the right position for Felicity to fall onto her. Taking advantage of her surprise, Felicity was able to knock out the woman out quickly and efficiently.

Giving her the same treatment Felicity had given her friend, she made her way through the vents to the leader.

None of this meant everything if the leader was able to rally her people, after all.

That fight was a bit harder. Felicity had been sloppy and hadn’t realized that they’d been checking in, so the leader knew that something was wrong. Felicity had ended up with a cut in her side and one in her arm. Her arm would need stitches, but her side was just a glorified scratch, and being able to tell fucking Superman that she’d taken down most of the gang had been satisfying to say the least.

She made her way back to the hostage area after Superman had assured her that he’d push their advantage.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?” One of the last men growled when he saw Felicity, pointing his gun at her. She mentally calculated and realized that she was too far away to disarm him. By Bruce’s expression, he’d realized the same thing.

“Waiting on Superman, of course.” Felicity deadpanned, her arms raised as she slowly began to walk towards the man.

“Stop moving, Barbie.” He demanded. “You just earned yourself a spot as my human shield.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She retorted. “I already dealt with the majority of your gang. You think you’re something special?” She began walking the side, away from the hostages. She deliberately kept her eyes away from Bruce as the gang member put his back to the billionaire.

“I think I’m okay with surviving anyway I can,” The man hissed back, not noticing Bruce creeping up behind him.

“Oh, you’ll survive,” Felicity assured him. “Just in jail.”

Bruce grabbed the man’s head and brought him down as he lodged his knee into the man’s back. He turned the man around while he was dazed and launched his fist into the man’s face. He then turned to Felicity as Superman and Supergirl flew in and surrounded the remaining gang member. “What the fuck were you thinking!?”

“That you’re better with kids?” Felicity answered while the rest of the hostages gawked at the two superheroes and the two normal people who had simply stepped up to help. Bruce’s stiff jaw was enough of a reminder that Felicity was in big trouble, though.

“I thought that you were-” Bruce started before letting out a choked sound. “If something had happened to you-”

“It’s a good thing that she knows how to handle herself, then.” Supergirl walked over to the two of them, looking at Felicity appreciatively. “Good work, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity shrugged, but smiled in thanks. “I couldn’t have handled both of these guys, so thank you for chipping in too, I guess.”

Supergirl laughed and looked over to where Superman was assuring the hostages that they were safe now as the police were carting off the unconscious gang. “If I were you, Mr. Wayne, I’d thank the lady for saving your lives.”

“And give me an even bigger hero complex?” Felicity joked lightly. “Never.”

Bruce looked between them and seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to get a word in, so he shook his head and walked away. Felicity watched him go with both relief and regret. 

“Hey,” Supergirl offered Felicity a gentle smile. “He’s like this because he cares. You don’t get upset when someone’s in danger unless they mean a lot to you.”

Felicity ducked her head to hide her smile. “Nah, we’re not like that.”

“Sure,” Supergirl shook her head in amusement and crossed her arms. “Where did you even learn to do all of this?”

“Black and White Canaries, Robin, Nightwing, Batman, and Spartan.”

Supergirl straightened and looked down at Felicity in surprise.

“Oh yeah, I’m actually in Metropolis to talk to you about something.” Felicity looked around them. “Well, and your cousin. I was wondering if we could talk?”

“Not-” Supergirl looked like she’d been knocked off balance. “When?”

“Tomorrow night? Eight?” Felicity suggested and got a numb nod in reply before Supergirl seemed to return to herself.

“I’ve got to- I need to help Kal and the police.”

Felicity nodded and watched her walk over to Cat Grant to make sure the woman was okay. Before long, Bruce was saddled up next to Felicity.

“Did you figure out who was behind this?” Felicity asked him in a low voice.

“Not yet.”

“I have a lead,” She looked up at him and held up the leader’s phone.

Bruce pursed his lips at her before nodding.

(He should’ve expected this. After all, he did fall in love with a hero.)

*

“Are you still mad at me?” Felicity asked when she returned to her hotel room from her ‘meeting’ with Luthor to find Bruce tapping his fingers against a crystal tumbler of whiskey.

“Mmhmm.”

“Because I went all maverick at the cafe?”

“Mm-mm.”

“Because I checked out the phone without you?”

“Mm-mm.”

“Because I told you I was sleeping when I looked over the phone.”

“Mm-mm.”

“Because I didn’t tell you that I was going out?”

“Mm-mm.”

“...because I just yelled at a known supervillain and gave away my hand?”

“Mmhmm.”

Felicity nodded and put down her purse, taking off her jacket to put it on the coat rack. They were both silent as Bruce put down his glass and walked over to her, the anger rolling off of him. No one could quite get underneath his skin like Felicity--especially since being in Metropolis apparently made her lose her fucking mind.

“Am I missing something?” Bruce asked in a deceptively calm voice. “Did something happen during your plane ride here that made you forget that we’re _partners_!? You asked me to be a part of this, dammit Felicity! You’re not invincible! Sure, you’ve had more training than a few of Oliver’s little would-be vigilantes, but even they know not to _do this alone_! _You_ railed against Oliver for trying to do this alone!”

Felicity clenched her jaw and looked away from Bruce.

“You’re too smart for this! Sure, at the cafe you wanted to get back some control. I understand. I almost did the same thing before you blocked me off. I understand going over the phone because you hate mysteries. I get that. Why did you go off the handle and go confront _Lex Luthor_ alone!?”

Felicity looked down at the carpet and let out a sigh. The anger she’d been running on, the hurt that had nestled into her heart at the realization that her first friend had put her in danger was fading fast in the face of Bruce’s concern and she was left with regret over letting it control her. She walked over the the couch in the sitting area in her suite and grabbed Bruce’s drink before downing it.

“Lex was my friend.” Felicity admitted. Bruce sat down on the coffee table across from her, listening intently.

“You told me that.” Bruce reminded her.

“I downplayed it.” Felicity admitted, rolling her eyes at herself before looking down at the empty glass in her hands. “I...wasn’t popular in highschool. It was back when being a nerd wasn’t actually cool. Lex was in the same sort of infamous state that I was in. I would stick up for him in subtle ways. He eventually picked up on it, and...he accused me of accepting a bribe from his dad to look after him. We became friends after I chewed him out and...I had never met anyone else who actually cherished my talents. We had a friendly rivalry. I was the best in technical classes, he was the best in subjective ones.”

Felicity leaned back on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. “I think I loved him at some point. For just a beat before junior year, we were the closest of friends and...I think I got to know the real Lex that summer. After that, though, people started realizing that he was rich and it was better to be his friend, and after that he became a different person. He was never genuine after that. I...I looked at him like a cautionary tale. I still cared about him, but I never got to see that genuine Lex ever again.

“Then, you know, I went to MIT and he went to Stanford. I became an IT girl in Star City and he took over LuthorCorp here in Metropolis. We drifted apart. I would check in on him, but he’d never realize it. After all, I can cover my footsteps pretty well. That’s how I realized that he was going on a one man war against Superman. But then, after I was shot up, he was suddenly back. My best friend, the first man I ever loved.

“We found out about Oliver--not _who_ , but the involvement I had in the Arrow’s mission. He was pissed that I hadn’t told him. I was hurt, and vulnerable. I lashed out. We ended whatever friendship we had with a declaration of war. Luthor versus Smoak. The chess games that would last days with friendly competition, turned into hacking battles and hiring thugs.” Felicity blinked away tears, her next words whispered in anguish. “How did that happen?”

Bruce reach forward to grab the glass from Felicity’s limp hand to put it down on the table next to him. He then held her hand, gently squeezing it to get her to look up at it shamefully. “You can’t blame yourself for the path that he went down.”

“But if I had just been there--”

“No.” Bruce shook his head. “You don’t know that.”

“If he knew I cared--”

Bruce moved to sit next to her, looking her in the eye seriously. “He did. No one as smart as him would ever think that you could stop caring.”

“I think he saved my life back then. He was my hero.” She whispered.

“Heroes can fall.” Bruce told her. “That’s why I want to be a part of your Justice League. It’s not just a team, it’s a guarantee that none of us are alone and we’ll hold each other accountable for our actions.”

Felicity rested her head on his shoulder and let go of his hands to wrap her arms around his waist, seeking the warm comfort that he offered willingly. “Why does it still hurt?”

“Because you still care.” Bruce breathed out against her hair as he hugged her back. “And as your friend, I’m not surprised.”

“As my partner?”

Bruce swallowed thickly. “I feel the need to ask if you can still follow through on your war on Luthor.”

Felicity thought back on the fifteen year old Lex Luthor who’d laughed so hard milk came out of her nose when she’d memorized PEMDAS by thinking ‘Please Excuse My Dope Ass Swag’. She then compared that Lex Luthor with the man who’d greeted her so coldly after sending a _gang_ after her.

“I’m going to tear him down,” She told Bruce, a deep determination in her voice that Bruce felt in his soul. “No one else would know how.”

*

Supergirl and Superman signed onto the League that night (persuaded by the Kryptonite armor that Cisco presented to them) and Bruce congratulated her with a sad smile.

They agreed to get the teams together the next day--and Bruce warned that he’d be late because he had to meet with Cat Grant to keep her from reporting on Felicity’s heroic actions.

The rest of the teams were there on time. It wasn’t Batman’s absence, but Felicity’s that everyone questioned. After half an hour, Canary’s jokes turned to worry and Arrow began calling her.

“I’m so glad we talked her into keeping a GPS in her necklace,” Nightwing breathed out as he brought up her location and fed it to Supergirl, Superman, Flash, White Canary, and ATOM over comms while they raced to the warehouse.

“Wait, Felicity told me that necklace was just a birthday present from Bats?” White Canary spoke in confusion.

There was a thick beat of silence before Arrow piped up. “Nightwing, does Felicity know that the necklace was a tracker?”

“Um. I thought she did? That’s what...that’s what Batman told me.”

“Fucking. Batman.” ATOM and Arrow groused at the same time.

*

Felicity stared down the barrel of a gun, on the other side stood her first love, ready to kill her.

For some reason, her thoughts were with Bruce. If she died here, Bruce would be pissed at her. She wondered if the League would hold him accountable. She knew that he was kind of dramatic, knew that if she turned up dead after what she’d told him about her history with Luthor, he’d lose it the same way she’d lose it if Jason killed Bruce.

The difference, she supposed, was that Bruce hadn’t wronged Jason so much that he’d be able to stare at Bruce apathetically while lining up the sights on a silenced pistol.

She wondered if it would hurt.

She watched Lex’s finger squeeze the trigger.

She wondered if Laurel was waiting for her on the other side. She wondered if the League would stay together--if they’d be her legacy. She wondered if her friends would remember her fondly.

She thought of the Lex from ninth grade who was so unaccustomed to kindness that her very nature had seemed a lie to him. She wondered if he was really dead or if Lex would actually regret killing her.

A burst of red wind and heat overcame her senses as she found herself sped away to a corner of the warehouse.

*

“I didn’t go after him this time, I promise,” Felicity breathed out as Bruce got to the empty lab where they’d planned to set up their new joint R&D project. 

“I know,” Bruce breathed out, rushing over to stand in front of where she was seated on a table. He looked her up and down for any signs of new injuries before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his chest. “I know, just...shut up for a second.”

Felicity sniffed and laid her forehead against Bruce’s shoulder, weakly returning his embrace. She pulled away after a second and looked up at Bruce. “Lex is in jail.”

“Yeah, I saw,” A dark look crossed over Bruce’s face, letting her know that if Lex ever escaped, he’d have Batman to reckon with.

“That chapter of my past is closed now.” She continued, looking up at him nervously. “And now I want to live my life in present.”

“Okay,” Bruce nodded, ready to give her anything she wanted after the terror he’d been stuck in since he’d gotten the voicemail from Dick.

He still wasn’t expecting her to pull him down into a kiss.

But, as previously stated, he was ready to give her anything she wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of y'all asked for more Batlicity and I really like this universe, so here y'all go. Happy holidays once again! I hope you all like this one. I wouldn't be adverse to writing more with this verse. I like it, tbh. Full of potential.
> 
> Go follow me on social media:
> 
> [see wally_birb for pretty pictures](http://www.instagram.com/wally_birb/)
> 
> [see alpha-whale for snark in spades](http://www.alpha-whale.tumblr.com)


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